Last year, when testing Saturn's Opel Astra, I really liked the car. But I also noted that it was obvious how hastily GM brought the import into the U.S. The leading indicator: the 24-hour clock and Day/Month/Year format on the display (time-traveling Michael J. Fox sold separately). For the 2009 model year, I'm happy to announce (to those of you that care) that GM has updated these critical functions to a more American-friendly format. The 24-hour clock gives way to a 12-hour clock for those that can't subtract 12 easily, and the date display will no longer make you think there are only 12 really long days in Febtober, the 25th month. Since it is a damn fine vehicle, the assumption might be that in the month when Honda Civic sales surpassed even the mighty F-150, the demand for any other small, practical vehicles would be at least somewhat higher. Alas, that was not the case. Saturn shifted 1091 Astras in May (contrast this with 1467 Hummer H3s). While these updates (and a new optional heated oil pan) are indeed exciting, one can't help but wonder how the Astra=– rated at a respectable-for-class 24/30 (with America-friendly 4 speed automatic)– would be selling with proper advertising support and an autobox that allowed them to advertise better MPGs. Rethink that.

I think we have to keep in mind that the Astra is relatively expensive for what you get. I would test drive both but my suspicion is I would still get a Mazda 3 hatchback with the 2.3 litre motor over this.

The Astra, depending on equipment, can be much cheaper than the Mazda3 if you’re comparing hatches to hatches. That’s because the Mazda3 only comes as a hatchback in the higher line 2.3 trim with more features, whereas the 5-door Astra is available as a base car for closer to $17,500.

If it was my money, I’d lease the Astra instead of leasing the Mazda3. But buying I’d have to take the stronger residuals of the Mazda, not to mention that Astra parts might become a problem in 5 years if the model is no longer here.

It is too bad the Astra isnt getting more ad time, it is a good car in many respects. However, I suspect pushing sales of the Astra are not a top priority for GM. Imported from Belgium they are probably losing money on every one of them even selling at sticker at this point due to the exchange rate. The dollar probably started its slide right around the time the decision was made to bring it over. Just a guess, but that is my theory.

Links to the most common price comparisons halfway down. I’d expect an ASTRA to cost about $1,000 more than the more powerful Mazda3 hatch, looking at MSRP for the Saturn and a few hundred over invoice for the Mazda.

I don’t see the problem with a 24 hour clock. If people are so dull that a 24 hour clock and European date format confuses them, maybe they should keep driving their big ‘merkin SUVs that they can’t afford to fill up.

Also, it sure would be nice if someday the US caught up with the rest of the world and realized that metric is a good thing. Multiples of 10 are much easier than multiples of 12. But what do I know… I was raised on metric and doing calculations in imperial makes my head hurt. I sure am glad I have a metric tape measure to ease the pain when I do work around the house.

I’m going to sound like a broken record or a nagging mother-in-law. Saturn shouldn’t exist! GM needs a strong compact competitors, and it needs to be in Chevrolet showrooms. You know, the only GM showrooms which still have some foot traffic and brand awareness. Saturn was at best a noble experiment, which failed.

The Astra could be the most brilliant car on the road and 90% of potential buyers wouldn’t test drive one because Saturn has less brand awareness in the US than Mitsubishi. The handful of Ion and L-series owners sure aren’t coming back looking for another helping. Even going double down on the advertising budget wouldn’t change this simple truth. There are windows of opportunity for gaining mindshare, and Saturn’s is long over.

Wow, you’d think that the Astra, being such a superior car compared to the lame duck Ion, would be marketed as such. I’ve test driven the Astra and I would say that it is a damn good car (if a little short on power) and the quality is right up there with the Mazda 3. I can’t fathom how GM would miss such an opportunity to market the strengths of this vehicle (European clock never bothered me that much, since I’ve worked at the airlines for a couple years).

Just goes to show the level of thinking at GM’s exec level. Saturn has the ability to be a great arm because the vehicles are good for what they are (although I still can’t understand why the Vue weighs so much or what exactly the purpose of the Outlook is). Hopefully they don’t botch the next Astra’s coming (if they survive that long).

I really like the Astra, and cannot wait to see its replacement. The leasing deals were non-existent when I was looking to get a car back in February. So, a Mazda3 hatch for me. Still, the Astra does beat the 2.3L Mazda in fuel economy, and wins tons of points for being euro, quirky, and different.

Funny, the info display in my 2001(!) GM-Saab can be programmed for either kind of time mode, not to mention metric/US/Imperial units and several different languages for messages.

Right now I have mine set to metric/Euro time modes. Personally, it’s kinda cool when riders mention the “military” clock, the outside temps in degrees Celsius and can see the fuel consumption in liters/100 km. But it can be changed back easily.

I just haven’t learned the translations of “Front Lamp Failure” or “Parking Brake On” in either French or Swedish, so I’m sticking to my monolingual ways with English message displays.

Rebates and discounts are two different things. I have heard some reports that some Saturn dealers will discount, so the no-haggle policy is not entirely intact. But it remains sufficiently intact that many, probably most buyers pay MSRP.

There is one more wrinkle: if you have a trade-in, Saturn dealers should be able to offer a higher allowance. At which point the ASTRA and Mazda3 would become VERY close in price. After loading them up similarly then adjusting for feature differences, my site estimates the MSRP difference at about $20.

I rented a Cobalt this week. Sturdily built, excellent interior switches, all the goodies, and astoundingly quick. With discounts, you can get a Cobalt stick for $13k….so why pay $17k for an Astra??? And if you want a hatchback Cobalt, you buy the HHR.

Nor is it logical that GM saddled the Astra with a tinier engine than the Cobalt. Why??? Same Ecotec design but .4L less displacement. This is progress??

The Astra, which as everyone knows costs GM more to buy than to make, is fuel efficient hatchback selling less than 1,000 units with gas at $4 a gallon.

Had GM thought this through, is it not possible to imagine a scenario where there were so many Astra’s sold in the US the Belgium plant was forced to run 3 shifts to keep up. This would drive down the variable cost to make and ship each vehicle. Is it not possible that there is an inflection point at which GM COULD have made money on every single one?

Instead, they provided the Astra but aren’t interested in getting anyone to buy it because in the short term they lose cash desperately needed to keep their operations afloat.

It’s decisions and attitude like this that convinces me that GM before and after Ch.11 would be no different. In order to win, you have to play to win instead of playing not to lose.

It’s amazing that Honda was reluctant to bring the Fit to the US, finally does 5 years into its product cycle, and…Boom! Instant hit! They sell way more than projected and can’t even keep up supply to meet demand.

Then there’s the Astra, which should compete with the Fit, but just gets forgotten about by most car buyers, much like every other Saturn.

Fit is Go. Astra is ground to a halt. Part of the problem is price, part is fuel economy, part is performance, and part is simply being a Saturn. Sad, because the Astra is close to being likable.

It is not just a European format, our military uses it, too. So does most of the rest of the world. So do many companies in the US that do business globally.

And why did it even require a “change”? Don’t just about ALL electronic clocks in the world give you a choice between the two formats with just a push of a button (or two)? Do you mean to tell me that the clock in Astra is the only one in the world that doesn’t give you that option? Justin, did you even try to find out?

Then there’s the Astra, which should compete with the Fit, but just gets forgotten about by most car buyers, much like every other Saturn.

The Astra’s not a B-car. It competes most directly with the VW Rabbit and the Mazda3 hatch, and doesn’t compete all that badly. The Mazda3 hatch is much faster, but also thirstier and $2k-3k more expensive.

The Fit is the best execution of the B-car, like, ever. We almost bought one, but then realized we could get into a Civic for $1500 more and get better fuel economy.

Don’t just about ALL electronic clocks in the world give you a choice between the two formats with just a push of a button (or two)?

Apparently not. Click on the photo that accompanies this article, and you can see for yourself that GM is changing out the clock to allow Americans to enjoy their 3PM coffee break at 3PM, and not at 1500 hours. They wouldn’t be changing it if it already did it.

Checked out the Astra Memorial Day Weekend. Ugly interior, and the price wasn’t that great. Got an ’09 Camry for cheaper dough. Astra’s great if you live near twisty roads (aka Europe) but not so much if you just have highway commutes all the time.

Good car, and I’m seeing a few on the road, but not as many as you’d think in a country normally as hatchback-friendly as Canada. Heck, I haven’t seen these in quantity in Quebec, which is about as European as it gets without crossing an ocean.

That’s telling.

The Astra is a good car, and it’s the right idea for Saturn (well, now that GM burned it’s bridges) instead of rebadges like the Aura or Outlook. The problem is the Rabbit and Mazda3 are also good cars. Very good cars. GM needed to give Europretenders a reason to choose the Astra over the Rabbit or 3, and they haven’t.

No diesel or turbocharged small-displacement gasser, no innovative packaging, inexpensive step into hybrid power, no bluetooth. Not even an iPod jack, which is a killer omission in this segment.

I maintain that the Opel Meriva would have better a smarter transplant. At least the Meriva is interesting enough to grab buyers. That Astra? It’s just ok.

Pch101 wrote:
Apparently not. Click on the photo that accompanies this article, and you can see for yourself that GM is changing out the clock to allow Americans to enjoy their 3PM coffee break at 3PM, and not at 1500 hours.

I saw it, but I was somewhat incredulous. I still think it might be that they’re just changing the default and making it sound like a big whoopty doo. Marketing weasels say hello.

You have got to get the pricing correct. There are cash allowance’s on Asta today, go get them out, they are a great value. Also, the supply has been limited, my local Saturn dealer delivered over 20 in May and only had 15 on the ground starting June, they now have inventory. The vehicle is not planned for more than 15,000 for the calendar year.

Anyway, it seems to me that the shape that GM is in is the result of a LOT of problems. We all like to yell about the ones that we think are the most important (my favorites are the unions and government), but in reality, it is all of them combined that makes it such a tough situation.

Here is the new twist: The shear number of things causing problems makes it nearly impossible to get anything postive done because every group you try to get change from is likely protesting about how the OTHER guys are the real problem. If it were only management vs. union it might get fixed, but there are really dozens of major problems and most have groups involved who don’t want to change them.

I could take this theory along further, but it’s about to go down my usual road, so I will spare you. Still, I thought that new part was kinda important.

My wife and I just purchased an Astra this evening. Love the car so far, as much fun to drive as any of the BMWs I’ve owned.

We were seriously considering the Fit at one point in our search. Despite the no-haggle pricing, price and a great deal are what pushed us into the Astra. First, the dealer was quite generous on her trade. We were able to get supplier price, since she is a grad student, which was around $1500 off. Then the dealer offered $500 dealer incentive. Finally, we got a $2000 GM incentive of some kind in the mail yesterday.

We were allowed to stack everything, basically taking the keys for several thousand less than the Fit, for a car I find to be much more substantial and enjoyable.

I saw it, but I was somewhat incredulous. I still think it might be that they’re just changing the default and making it sound like a big whoopty doo. Marketing weasels say hello.

Mr. Berkowitz’s clip above is from GM’s press release about the 2009 car. It outlines the changes that have been made.

He pointed out this clock issue in his review of the car. I found this interesting, as he was, as far as I can tell, the only reviewer who identified this.

It’s amazing that GM spent 9 figures federalizing this thing, but failed to give Americans a 12-hour clock. Either somebody at GM just forgot, or else an accountant must have decided that the $10 or whatever was needed to change it wasn’t worth the expense.